Water-supply system



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Patented Mier., llt,4

r rr un i wv r. we su i W a i il ai air aus i sans GLENN MUFELY, OF CLEVELAND EEEGHTS, GEIQ.

WATER-SUPPLY SYSTEM.

Application led June 22, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'l, GLENN Mnrrnr, a citizen of the United States ot America, and a resident of Cleveland Heights, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Water- Supply Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates mainly to well water supply systems, and more especially to underground storage devices and distribution means therefor.

rEhe main objects oi the invention are to provide for storing water under ground and subject to suitable service pressure in such manner as to provide a continuous supply of naturally cooled water; to provide means of improved form to pump and control the flow of water in such a system; to provide improved means for ready inspection to de ltermine the amount or water in storage at any time; and to provide meansoiE improved form to automatically start andstop the motor responsive to exhaustion and replenishment ci the storage water respectively.

.Ain illustrative embodiment of this inven tion is shown conventionally in the accomdrawings in which- Figure l is diagram of the system as a whole. 'Wj l 2 is an enlarged detail view of the Aswitch operating pistonA device on `the line ot Figure l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged atrial section of the lower and ci the pump cylinder and valve mechanism.

l'n the construction shown in the'drawings the piston a. acting/r within the cylinder 0,1 and operated bv the rod n?. carries a checlnvslve o. and at each upward strol-re lifts the water in pipe at and draws more water into said cylinder through the lower check-valve as. '0n the downward stroke of the piston the lower check-valve o5 closes and water passes through checkivalve as to the upper side of the piston where it is trapped by lchecir-valve as lifted. by the next upward stroke of piston a. n

The water thus lifted from the well or other source of supply is delivered through openings ag or? pipe o4 into an airtight Stor Serial No` 570,069.

age tank a7. is the water level in this tank is raised above the openings @-1.6 air is trapped and compressed in the upper portion of said tank. rlhe air pressure thus developed torces water up through the well pipe as under a pressure that increases as the air space in tank a7 diminishes.

The pump cylinder a1 is preferably submerged in the water supply, but it may be located with its main body part near enough above the water level to insure that water will be drawn into its submerged lower part and raised by suction. ln either event it is desirable to employ a strainer u, at the point of water intake. A packing .gland d10 is provided where rod (1,2 leaves pipe 0,8 and a discharge pipe b opens out of pipe as at or near the top to connect with the water delivery system.

Connected with pipe b is a pressure-acn tuated means for shutting od the source of power to the pump rod 0,2. ln the construction shown a cylinder b1 is employed with a piston b2 acted upon on one side Ly the water pressure inV pipe and upon the other bv a spring 53. Whenthe water pressure in cylinder b1 exceeds I the force exerted by said spring las the rod b4 is moved toward the point at which power is shut oli", as by opening a motor control switch b5.

lnthe case of a self-starting` source oi powen such as electric motor here shown @orf nected by gear m and m' and rod r to rod a? or in some instances a gas engine (not shown) equipped with a self-starting device, the pumping operation is automatically resumed at any time that the water pressure drops to a predetermined point ln the event that manual power is employed, or that the source oi'power is not seltstartinej, the rod b4 may be arranged to actuate a signal, as will be understood though not shown, when water pressure has fallen to a predetermined point.

As a precaution against the possible 1failure of the automafc means for shutting oit the power ll have shown a safety pipe be which is connected to safety valve not shown) or carried to a suitable height to serve as a safety overdow or pressure pipe.

Referring again to tank al1 the floatc arranged to rotate the pivoted spiral rod o1, rotation of the iioat itself being prevented by sliding engagement with a vertical rod c. The degree of rotation of rod c1 and hence the height of water in tank r1.7 is indicated by a pointer c3, which is visible through the glass o4, said pointer being secured coturnably to the top of rod c1. An air-tight joint is maintained between the glass ct and the casing 05 surrounding pointer c3 to prevent air leakage from the tank The air line 0 through which rod c1 passes is connected with the pressure gauge cs. A comparison between the readings of pressure gauge c and pointer 03 will reveal the existence of an air leak it there be any. in case the gauge 06 shows a lower air pressure than is usual for a given height of water as indicated by pointer c3 the air pressure may be raised to the desired point by pumping air in through pipe o8 after opening` valve c7. Pipe 08 is substantially a continuation of the pipe c which contains rod c.

ln the absence of any air leakage this operation should seldom be necessary, and when required the correct air pressure may be restored by another method without the aid of an air pump as follows: close valve 67; disconnect rod a? from the power head or rod r and lower the piston a to the bottom of cylinder al, thus causing valves a3 and a5 to open as shown in Fig. 3; open valve 07; wait for water to drain from tank a7; close valve c7; re-connect rod ft2 to power head; pump water up to desired level; and reopen valve o7, The amount ot air trapped Vin tank 0.7 is thus predetermined by the location of' thehighest hole a6. which is established by the manufacturer for a given class of service.

The float mechanism including member c may be taken out for inspection or repairs by removing cover plate 01. In case it is necessary to pull the entire tank and pump from the well, the water is First drained from the tank e7 (t8 by the method above described, that is to say by disconnecting rod z2 and opening valve c7, so that it is not required to liftany unnecessary load of water.

The tank a? is preferably located far enough below the ground level to insure that the water stored under pressure therein will be kept fresh and cool in the summer and will be kept from freezing in the winter. Should the level ot water supply stand near the ground level as when the well is full, in wet seasons, 'tank a? may beY partially or wholly submerged in the water and must then be anchored or weighted down to prevent it from floating. The capacity of the tank a? should be such that ordinary demands for water may be met without starting the pump each time that water is Vdrawn from the line.

and pipes et and recense A positive range of storage capacity, independent of intermittent starting and stopping of the pump may to advantage be provided for, as by means of a snap operated motor-switch requiring a substantial margin of water-level controlled pressure for actuation. For instance the switch o may comprise mainly a toggle device including bars s' and s; a spring s2; a quick break blade S3 pivoted to bar s and urged against same by a spring st; and a contact S5. Bar s is pivoted to the stationary support s and spring s2 is secured to a iixed supportl S7. Rod bt is connected to barre by means of a pivot connected link a8.

wWhen the pressure diminishes suciently in tank ai' the switch toggle lowers to the critical snap-down point and quickly closes the blade S3 against contact 85. Then when the motor M has run suthciently to restore the pressure to normal in tank a7 the toggle is raised to its critical snap-up point and the switchis suddenly opened. But in this latter operation the switch remains firmly closed up to the last` moment, because 'as the bar S5 swings' upward the blade s3 remains gripped frictionally by the terminal S5 and does not break Contact until the toggle snaps over, when it jumps away quickly under action of spring s4. i

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without depart- Ving from the spirit of this invention as deiined by the following claims.

l claim:

l. A. water supply system comprising in combination an air-tight storage tank a pump cylinder, a piston within said cylinder, pump valvesfor said sylinder and pitson respectively, a Y pipe connecting said pump cylinder with said tank, a rod` passing through said pipe and connecting with said piston for the purpose or actuating same, a water outlet near the bottom of said' tank, and a water delivery pipe connected with said outlet.

2. A water supply system comprising in combination an air-tight storage tank, a pump cylinder, a piston within said cylinder, pump valves Jr'or said cylinder and piston respectively, a pipe connecting said pump cylinder with said tank, a: rod passing through said pipe and connecting with said` piston for the purpose ofactuating same` a water outlet near the' bottom of said tank, and automatic gravity actuated means for draining said tank and pipes when said rod is released and the piston allowed to drop below the normal downward limit ot its travel. Y

3. ln a water supply system, an air-tight storage tank, a water lift pipe connected mames with the bottom of said tank, a pump cyl nder connected with said Watel lift pipe, a piston within said cylinder, a Water delivery pipe taking water from a.` point naar the bottom of said tank and conducting it upwad though the top of said tank, a rod connacted with said piston for the actuaon theeof and passing thcugh said Water ,lift pipe, tank and Water delvefy pipe, and means fol @mating Said rod.

Signed at Cleveland, ho, this 19th day of June 1922.

GLENN MUEFLY, 

